Canadian Regiment of Fencible Infantry
Encyclopedia
Canadian Regiment of Fencible Infantry was a short lived regiment in Canada
during the early 19th century.
The regiment was originally raised in Scotland but a rumour circulated that the regiment would be moved to the British colonies in the West Indies. The West Indies at the time were hot, dangerous and rampant with disease. Troops and often entire regiments would be lost because of the poor communication to the area. This caused the desertion of many of the men in the regiment and it had to be reraised in Canada. The commissioned and non-commissioned officers were Scottish while the core of the regiment would be French Canadian
. The Scottish roots of the regiment are evident in the regiment's coat of arms with a thistle. Created in Montreal
in 1803, the regiment did not begin recruitment until 1805.
Original members were officers from the Scottish Highlander Regiment. Difficulty adjusting to life in Canada led to recruitment amongst Canadians in Upper Canada
and Lower Canada
.
By the start of the War of 1812, the regiment strength was at 600 men.
The unit disbanded in 1816 and recreated in 1984 by volunteers for war re-enactments. The Friends of Fort York now hire students to recreate the regiment at Fort York
in Toronto, Ontario, during the summer months.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
during the early 19th century.
The regiment was originally raised in Scotland but a rumour circulated that the regiment would be moved to the British colonies in the West Indies. The West Indies at the time were hot, dangerous and rampant with disease. Troops and often entire regiments would be lost because of the poor communication to the area. This caused the desertion of many of the men in the regiment and it had to be reraised in Canada. The commissioned and non-commissioned officers were Scottish while the core of the regiment would be French Canadian
French Canadian
French Canadian or Francophone Canadian, , generally refers to the descendents of French colonists who arrived in New France in the 17th and 18th centuries...
. The Scottish roots of the regiment are evident in the regiment's coat of arms with a thistle. Created in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
in 1803, the regiment did not begin recruitment until 1805.
Original members were officers from the Scottish Highlander Regiment. Difficulty adjusting to life in Canada led to recruitment amongst Canadians in Upper Canada
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
and Lower Canada
Lower Canada
The Province of Lower Canada was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
.
By the start of the War of 1812, the regiment strength was at 600 men.
Battles
- Detroit (1812)
- Beaver Dams (1813)Battle of Beaver DamsThe Battle of Beaver Dams took place on 24 June 1813, during the War of 1812. An American column marched from Fort George and attempted to surprise a British outpost at Beaver Dams, billeting themselves overnight in the village of Queenston, Ontario...
- Châteauguay (1813)Battle of ChateauguayThe Battle of the Chateauguay was a battle of the War of 1812. On 26 October 1813, a force consisting of about 1,630 French Canadian regulars and militia and Mohawk warriors under Charles de Salaberry repulsed an American force of about 4,000 attempting to invade Canada.The Chateauguay was one of...
The unit disbanded in 1816 and recreated in 1984 by volunteers for war re-enactments. The Friends of Fort York now hire students to recreate the regiment at Fort York
Fort York
Fort York is a historic site of military fortifications and related buildings on the west side of downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The fort was built by the British Army and Canadian militia troops in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, to defend the settlement and the new capital of the...
in Toronto, Ontario, during the summer months.
Equipment
- drums
- pipePipe (instrument)Pipe describes a number of musical instruments, historically referring to perforated wind instruments. The word is an onomatopoeia, and comes from the tone which can resemble that of a bird chirping.-Folk pipe:...
- PikePike (weapon)A pike is a pole weapon, a very long thrusting spear used extensively by infantry both for attacks on enemy foot soldiers and as a counter-measure against cavalry assaults. Unlike many similar weapons, the pike is not intended to be thrown. Pikes were used regularly in European warfare from the...
- muskets
- field guns